Throughout this application, including in the claims, the term “horizontal” denotes an arbitrary direction (which can be, but is not necessarily, a direction perpendicular to the earth's gravitational field) and the term “vertical” denotes a direction perpendicular to a specific “horizontal” direction. For example, preferred embodiments of the inventive apparatus have elements which define cam tracks and which rotate as a unit with a “horizontally” oriented drive shaft. As the elements rotate, the cam tracks cause pitting and coring knives to advance and retract horizontally. The drive shaft's longitudinal axis is preferably oriented perpendicularly to the earth's gravitational field (since this orientation allows gravity to pull pits and pitted fruit perpendicularly away from the knives of the inventive apparatus during operation), but it need not be and is not in some implementations of the invention.
One type of apparatus for pitting and slicing olives is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,691, issued May 15, 1990, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,954, issued Oct. 31, 1989, both assigned to Ashlock Company. In typical implementations of such apparatus, cam-driven pitting and coring knives advance and retract horizontally to pit olives as the knives (and olives) are carried along a generally circular path around a horizontal shaft. Each olive rests in a cup while the olive has its pit removed by a pitting knife, as both the olive and cup translate along a first segment of the circular path around the horizontal shaft. The pitted olive is then sliced by fixed or rotating slicing knives (or water jets) while the pitted olive (still in the cup) translates along a second segment of the circular path around the horizontal shaft.
Another apparatus for pitting and slicing olives is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,318, issued Mar. 3, 1998. In this apparatus, cam-driven pitting and coring knives push out the pit (from within each olive) in a horizontal direction through a hole in a cup, while the olive is seated in the cup and the olive and cup translate along a segment of a first circular path around a horizontal axis. The apparatus includes slicing cradles that are mounted in positions horizontally separated from the first circular path. During operation, the slicing cradles revolve around the horizontal axis along a second circular path that is parallel to the first circular path. After each olive is pitted, a retracting pitting knife pulls the pitted olive horizontally away from the cup and into one of the slicing cradles. As the pitting knife pulls the pitted olive from the cup into the slicing cradle, the pitted olive translates along a generally helical path around the horizontal axis from a point along the first circular path to a point along the second circular path. Then, the pitted olive (in the slicing cradle) is sliced by fixedly-mounted slicing knives as the pitted olive and cradle translate around the horizontal axis along a segment of the second circular path into engagement with and then past the slicing knives. By slicing the pitted olives as they move along a circular slicing path that is horizontally displaced from a circular pitting path, a waste chute (below the pitting path) can receive unpitted olives (e.g., any olive that is not picked up between a pitting knife and a coring knife upon entering the apparatus) and debris (e.g., pit fragments) that translate along the pitting path and then fall into the waste chute. A separate product chute below the slicing path can receive olive slices that fall into it from the slicing path.
However, the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,318 has several limitations and disadvantages, including the following. If hard debris enters the slicing cradle (e.g., a pit or pit fragment that clings to a pitted olive), the debris can become jammed against the slicing knives as the debris translates with the slicing cradle into engagement with the slicing knives. As a result, the slicing knives can be dulled or damaged. Also, the slicing knives are not conveniently adjustable relative to the path of pitted olives to be sliced.
It had not been known until the present invention how to design an apparatus for pitting and slicing olives (or other fruit) in a manner overcoming the noted disadvantages and limitations of conventional pitting and slicing apparatus.